Grant Application Status

Welcome Hasti

Applicant Information

First Name: Hasti
Last Name: Rostami
Phone: (817) 946-6886

General Questions

Academic Affiliation: New York University, Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies
Research Interests: My undergraduate honors thesis was a pioneering investigation into the study of Iranian student activism by analyzing and studying the student movement through the lens of ethnomusicology. My work aimed to first document the sensory experience of revolutionary Iran, and subsequently offer an analysis of the lyrics and history of melodies, and identify the previously anonymous artists. The primary sources are written in Standard Persian, Sorani Kurdish, and Mazandarani, and have never been translated into English. As such, I undertook the task of rendering them into English for the first time in the course of this study. At NYU, I am furthering my research into Iran-Levant Marxist guerilla relations with a focus on shared music and art making. I am specifically interested in the Iranian Fedai and PLO connections in Lebanon from 1962 to 1978. Keywords: Marxist thought and practice in MENA, Ethnomusicology, Iranian Revolution, Resistance Studies, Lebanese Civil War, Iran-Arab World Relations
Displacement: I came to the United States at the age of 16 after living in Tbilisi, Georgia. My family and I had immigrated there from Iran four years prior due to political persecution and had tried our best to make a home in the heart of the Caucasus. Yet the hands of the Islamic Republic knew no boundaries. During our four years there, my family and I were continuously stalked and threatened by the Iranian embassy in Tbilisi, which forced us to flee to the United States. From April 2016 to February 2025, I lived as a political asylee without a single box to check on any official papers. Due to my current immigration status, I am unable to travel anywhere outside of the United States, which has significantly left me behind conferences and international research and development opportunities. Furthermore, during my undergraduate years, because of my immigration status, I was barred from participating in fellowships or study-abroad programs that could help me further my research, this includes to this day into my graduate studies where despite having the drive and the want, I am unable to participate in programs such as FLAS, CLS, and Fullbright or qualify for any federal funding opportunities for my research. This grant presents a rare and unique opportunity for me to be connected to other displaced scholars like myself and to present my work to a larger audience of academics.
Research Theme:
Academic Writing Samples:

Your Application Status

Status: Application Received
Submited On: March 11, 2025
Notes: 

For more information, contact

Mimi Kirk (she, her, hers)
Program Manager, Global Academy
Middle East Studies Association
1957 E Street NW, Suite 401
Washington, DC 20052
520-333-2577, ext. 105
mimi@mesana.org

Welcome Hasti

Applicant Information

First Name: Hasti
Last Name: Rostami
Phone: (817) 946-6886

General Questions

Academic Affiliation: New York University, Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies
Research Interests: My undergraduate honors thesis was a pioneering investigation into the study of Iranian student activism by analyzing and studying the student movement through the lens of ethnomusicology. My work aimed to first document the sensory experience of revolutionary Iran, and subsequently offer an analysis of the lyrics and history of melodies, and identify the previously anonymous artists. The primary sources are written in Standard Persian, Sorani Kurdish, and Mazandarani, and have never been translated into English. As such, I undertook the task of rendering them into English for the first time in the course of this study. At NYU, I am furthering my research into Iran-Levant Marxist guerilla relations with a focus on shared music and art making. I am specifically interested in the Iranian Fedai and PLO connections in Lebanon from 1962 to 1978. Keywords: Marxist thought and practice in MENA, Ethnomusicology, Iranian Revolution, Resistance Studies, Lebanese Civil War, Iran-Arab World Relations
Displacement: I came to the United States at the age of 16 after living in Tbilisi, Georgia. My family and I had immigrated there from Iran four years prior due to political persecution and had tried our best to make a home in the heart of the Caucasus. Yet the hands of the Islamic Republic knew no boundaries. During our four years there, my family and I were continuously stalked and threatened by the Iranian embassy in Tbilisi, which forced us to flee to the United States. From April 2016 to February 2025, I lived as a political asylee without a single box to check on any official papers. Due to my current immigration status, I am unable to travel anywhere outside of the United States, which has significantly left me behind conferences and international research and development opportunities. Furthermore, during my undergraduate years, because of my immigration status, I was barred from participating in fellowships or study-abroad programs that could help me further my research, this includes to this day into my graduate studies where despite having the drive and the want, I am unable to participate in programs such as FLAS, CLS, and Fullbright or qualify for any federal funding opportunities for my research. This grant presents a rare and unique opportunity for me to be connected to other displaced scholars like myself and to present my work to a larger audience of academics.
Research Theme:
Academic Writing Samples:

Your Application Status

Status: Application Received
Submited On: 2025-03-11 13:46:10
Notes: 

For more information, contact

Mimi Kirk (she, her, hers)
Program Manager, Global Academy
Middle East Studies Association
3700 O Street NW, ICC 241
Washington, DC 20057
520-333-2577, ext. 105
mimi@mesana.org

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